Today, I write and review not only as a satisfied customer, but as an insider as well; so evaluate that for what it is worth.
I highly recommend AABC Driving Schools for those looking for a quality driving school experience; with owners and instructors motivated & equipped by their professional backgrounds & personal driving records to produce long-term, safe drivers - and not just WiDOT driving test candidates.
After sending my first 2 sons to the closest & most convenient option at the time (the school that was running a class out of our local Denmark High School), I was frustrated. I learned that some techniques were simply "verbally described" and no practical lesson was given. I also found out that road lesson time also included instructors napping, and stopping for snack and beverage breaks (potty breaks I can understand, but as my one son put it, "I don't think there's any statistics showing death and carnage is taking place in our nation's drive-thru's." It was a no brainer that our daughter was going somewhere else. When it was her turn I was now familiar and associated with AABC.
She not only loved the course and instruction, but so did her friends. More importantly, so did the past & present body of PARENTS. Any instructor can make kids love them (snacks, treats, and no work, can accomplish that!). The "proof in the pudding" is what the parents love - both during the learning process, and after seeing what their children's driving skills and reasoning behind the wheel becomes.
As a retired 32-year decorated Police Officer, Crash Investigator & Reconstructionist, Traffic Enforcement Expert, and former Trainer & EMT, my response to a friend suggesting that I actually join AABC was, "Your Nuts!" Spending the entirety of my career on the road, I collected copious numbers of poor driving instructor stories; such as snoozing , treating speed limits as suggestions, and toting seatbelt use as "optional" (This, above and beyond my before mentioned personal experience). Moreover, some situations included my having to call certain schools (names withheld to protect the guilty!) and "lay down the law" about what was legal and proper, and what was not. I also dealt with more than my fair share of their "results." Following my friend's challenge, I began tracking down those "horror stories" to their sources.
Subsequently, the result of that search was that NOT ONE of any of those bad accounts ever came back to AABC. In fact, the great majority of individuals who I spoke to regarding AABC highly acclaimed AABC's quality instruction (from both the private and governmental sectors of my contacts). The numbers both shocked and impressed me. Looking further at the school I saw how impressive their process was. I also talked to students of the local schools; parsing out what they had learned in their courses. As a whole, AABC's graduates impressed me the most.
As for motivation, the owner / lead instructor, Tom, took over the business after working for years under his Father, and his Dad's partner: the founders of AABC. Tom himself survived 2 major crashes that were caused by drunk or otherwise poor drivers. It's Tom' pursuit and passion to equip his students with the best instruction and strategy possible to become lifetime safe, legal, courteous, and defensive drivers. If Tom's instructors don't tote the line in their instruction, they are released - no matter how long they have been around. Tom's 35 years in the business have also brought him not only great customers, but also now their kids! That speaks for itself.
My motivation? I've been to enough tragedies, put back together enough crashes, patched up enough broken bodies, and seen enough of those that were beyond repair; far in excess of what any human should experience. I have done plenty of traffic enforcement in an attempt to prevent the above mentioned unpleasantries. I am now attempting to prevent those problems for today's students! Along that line as well, one of my fellow instructors is also a former Law Enforement Officer, with similar motivations for instructing.
It is just solid wisdom to critically evaluate any review done by an employee - even when that employee can speak from being a customer. But in doing so, take into account their motivation. As for my motivation, sure....I'd love more students come through our program. I should if I believe in what I'm doing. But also, as a professional, I won't wear the T-Shirt just to collect a paycheck if I am not confident enough of a group's performance, reputation & integrity to unashamedly list them on my Resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile. When it comes to driving schools in the Green Bay / Brown County area, only AABC is able to fit that requirement. That's also the reason I sent my daughter there (and only wish I had had this knowledge earlier so that I could've sent both my sons as well). read more
